Washing and sterilizing machine for glassware



1960 K. J. HEINICKE 2,947,312

WASHING AND STERILIZING MACHINE FOR GLASSWARE Filed Feb. 26, 1958INVENTOR. KURT J. HEINICKE \m cg ATTORNEY United States Patent 6) Km: 1.Heinicke, Hollywood, Fla., assignor to Heinicke Instruments Company,Hollywood, Fla.

Filed Feb. 26, 1958, Ser. No. 717,722 3 Claims. (Cl. 134-191) Thisinvention relates to newand useful improvements in surface treatingapparatus and, is an improvement over that structure disclosed in myUnited States Patent No. 2,827,064, issued March 18, 1958. i Theinvention provides a system and apparatus for cleaning glassware andparticularly laboratory glassware such as pipettes, syringes, syringeneedles, vials, test tubes, flasks, bottles, petri dishes and the like.

Basically, as shown in the patent above noted, there was provided a rackor other support and a pair ofspray heads or tubes that were disposedabove and below the rack to project both a cleaning and sterilizingspray tothe glassware supported in the rack, and, with either the sprayheads or the rack being reciprocated in a horizontall path to bring theseveral articles of glassware into the line of the streams of water orsterilizing medium forcibly ejected from the spray heads in opposedrelationso that the glassware was cleaned and/ or sterilized bothinternally and externally.

It has been found that certain deposits such as autoclaved protein couldonly be removed with dilficulty if at all. This also applied to otherrecalcitrant deposits upon the walls of the glassware.

I The purpose of this invention is to dispose within the fluid pressureline leading to the spray heads, a device whereby to set up in thestream a pulsing effect and with the pulsing-effect being carriedthroughout the fluid to the jet streams being projected upwardly anddownv a lly by the spray heads, producing in efiect a push-pull actionagainst the deposits in the glassware that successfully remove thedeposits with a minimum of effort and in a minimum of time.

Further advantages of the invention will be more clearly apparent duringthe course of the following description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred form ofthe invention and wherein like characters of reference are employed todenote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a washer constructed in accordancewith the invention,

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 3-3 ofFigure 1,

Figure 4 is a section taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 3 and,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the pulsation creating vane disposedwithin the fluid line.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates an openrack of any desirable construction, usually having partitions or thelike for the upright support of laboratory glassware, such as that abovenoted. The rack 5 may either be stationary or reciprocatory, this beingdetermined by a spray device to be described.

Overlying and underlying the rack 5 are a pair of tubular spray heads 6and 7, connected by a common con- Patented Aug. 2., 1960 duit 8. Thespray heads 6 and 7 are in parallel opposed relation and are aperturedthroughout their length as shown at 9, and with the apertures of theupper and lower. heads 6 and 7 being in axial opposed relation. Aspointed out in the patent above noted, the jet streams 10 from the upperspray head 6 are relatively stronger than the jet streams 11 of thelower spray head 7 and whereby, to impart a downward pressure upon thearticles of glassware to prevent their possible dislodgement from therack by the force of the lower jets 11. This has all been clearlydescribed and claimed in my prior patent.

Connected intermediate the height of the conduit 8, is a fluid line 12,having an L-coupling 13 at its lower end. The coupling is threaded at 14for the threaded reception of a flange 15 carried by a fluid line 16.The fluid line 16 corresponds substantially to the diameter of the fluidline 12. The fluid line 16 has connection with the discharge side 17 ofa conventional pump 18, driven in any conventional manner. The coupling13 is provided with a hub portion 19, while the line 16 has a hubportion 20, carrying the threaded flange 15. As clearly shown in Figures2 and 4, the hub 19 is slotted at diamet-. rically opposite points as at21.. Disposed within the slots 21 are wing portions 22 of a flatmetallic vane 23. The vane is disposed centrally with respect to thefluid line 16 and whereby fluid passing through the line 16 to the line12 will engage with equal force and volume above and below the vane 23.The vane at its forward edge is slotted at 24, forming vibratory tongues25. One tongue 25 is slightly curved upwardly from the slot 24, whilethe opposite tongue 25 is slightly curved down- V Wardly from the slot24, providing a pair' of reed-like elements against which the stream ofwater impinges. Each of the tongues 25 are apertured at 26.

' In the use of the device, with the spray device including the sprayheads 6 and 7 and the conduit 8 being assembled and supported in anydesirable manner relative to the rack 5, the fluid lines 12 and 16 areassembled with respect to the pump 18. Prior to the assembly of thefluid line 16 with the coupling 13, the vane is engaged with thecoupling 13 by sliding the wings 22 into the slots 21. The wings mayhave a snug engagement within the slots and if desired, they may besoldered for permanent connecion to the coupling 13. The fluid line 16is then connected and also connected with the coupling and alsoconnected with the pump 18. No attempt has been made to show variousunions or other common expedients for assembling the fluid line, sincethis forms no important part of the invention. It the spray heads are ofthe type that reciprocates back and forth with respect to the rack 5, itwill be clearly apparcut that a flexible fluid line will be substitutedfor the fluid line 12. Now with the parts in fully assembled relation, arack 5 containing the glassware to be cleaned is installed within themachine to lie within the range of the spray heads 6 and 7. If the rackreciprocates, then the parts will be substantially as shown. The pump isthen actuated and a relative high pressure stream is forced through thelines 16, 12 and distributed through the conduit 8 to the spray heads 6and 7. As the stream of water passes the vane 23, a vibratory motion isimparted thereto, that is carried by resonance throughout the line 12,conduit 8, spray heads 6 and 7 and through the jets 10 and 11, impingingupon the glassware both internally and externally and setting upsubstantially a push-pull force that acts upon the deposits in theglassware and this push-pull action acts to quickly loosen and removethe racalcitrant deposits that would ordinarily not be disturbed by jetstreams having no pulsing action. The tongues 25 act upon the stream ofwater to create this pulsing efiect and in actual tests, this pulsing iscontinned throughout the system and also throughout the jet streams and11. The apertures 26 likewise create miniature jets within the streamsand these jets coupled withwthe vibratory motion set up by the tongues25, createthe pulsing flow of the water and/or sterilizing medium. Tocreate the'desirable pressure within the fluid :lines, a suitable highpressure pump has been found necessary. While the coupling 13 has beenillustrated as an L- coupling, it will be apparent that a union maybe.dis-

posed within the line 12 or the line 1-6 for supporting the vane23. Thefunction of the vane 23 is similar in either types of coupling members.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preciseconstruction shown, 'butlthat changes are contemplated as readily fallwithin the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scopeof the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A surface treating apparatus of the character described comprising anarticle holder for supporting articles to be cleaned in an uprightmanner, a substantially U-shaped' spraying device including an upperhorizontal portion overlying said holder and having downwardly facingorifices, such spraying device also including a lower horizontal portionunderlying said holder and having upwardly facing orifices and wherebyto spray a cleaning medium from above and below in opposed relation, thesaid spraying device and the article holder being relatively movable ina horizontal plane, a fluid line for conducting fluid jointly to theupper and lower horizontal portions of the spraying device, a pump com Inected to the fluid line, a coupling disposedwithin the fluid line, aflat vibratory element disposed within the coupling centrally thereof'tosubstantially span the diameter of the fluid line, the vibratory elementbeing anchored at one end to one member of the'coupling and with itsmajor length extending into the fluid line, the extended end of thevibratory element being slotted intermediate 'its width to form a pairof tongues that are disposed in the line of flow of the cleaning medium,the said tongues imparting a pulsating action to the fluid passingthereby and with the pulsating action being maintained throughout thefluid line and throughout the opposed sprays being directed to thearticles within the article holder, the said sprays imparting apush-pull ac- 2. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the,

coupling embodies a hub section that is externally threaded for thereception of a female coupling carried by the fluid line, the hubsection being slotted at diametrically opposite points, the saidvibratory element comprising a flat relatively thin vane, a pair of wingportions formed upon the vane at one end for engagement within the slotsand whereby to dispose the vane substantially centrally with respect tothe axis of the fluid line, the vane having a free'portion that extendsinto the leading end of the fluid line, the tree end of the vane beinglongitudinally slotted to form a pair of vibratory tongues, each of thetongues adjacent to the slot being bent upwardly and downwardly, thefluid passing through the fluid line first engaging the said tongues toimpart a pulsation to the fluid to be discharged from the spray device.

3."'-Iheistructure according to claim -1 wherein the coupling embodies ahub-section that is externally threaded for the reception of a femalecoupling carried by the fluid "line, the hub section being slotted atdiametrically opposite :points, the said vibratory element comprising aflat relatively thin vane, a pair of wing portions formed upon the vaneat one end for engagement within the slots and whereby to dispose thevane substantially centrally with respect to the accessof the fluidline, the tvane having a tree portion that extends into the leading endof the fluid line, the free end ofthe vane being longitudina-ll-yslotted -to for-ma pair of vibratory tongues each of the tonguesadjacent to the slot being bent upwardly and downwardly,*the fluidpassing through the fluid line firseengaging the said tonguesto-irnp-art a pulsation to the 'flu-id to bedischarged from the spraydevice, .each

of the tong-ues being apertured to impart miniaturejet streams bothabove and below the vane.

-Referenccs {Jilted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

